Big Fish
by m0nkshood
Summary: A story taking place sometime after graduation in which Lydia discovers a new symptom of her ever expanding Banshee powers - and this one is a little… fishy… Caution: may be extremely stupid and full of feels. Romances: Stiles/Lydia, some Scott/Kira and Liam/Hayden Friendships: Scott/Stiles, Malia/Kira/Hayden/Lydia, Scott/Lydia I do not own Teen Wolf
1. Chapter 1-3

*THIS IS A REPOST OF CH.1-3 IN WHICH I HAVE EDITED SOME THINGS, MORE CHAPTERS TO COME!

Caution: may be extremely stupid and full of feels.

Romances: Stiles/Lydia, some Scott/Kira and Liam/Hayden

Friendships: Scott/Stiles, Malia/Kira/Hayden/Lydia, Scott/Lydia

I do not own Teen Wolf

 **Chapter 1**

"Okay…" Kira looked around the dark boathouse nervously as she followed Lydia to the edge of the water. "So are you in one of those banshee things? 'Cause honestly, Lydia, you're starting to freak me out…" She'd been following the fiery haired girl that had slipped into a sort of trance and began walking away from the lake house where the other girl's had been sleeping - Kira was the only one to notice. "Is there a body?"

"Relax, Kira, everything will be fine, you can go back inside," Lydia said calmly, though her eyes never shifted from the black water. The almost full moon glinted overhead and Kira looked back at the main house, hoping that they weren't being missed. All of the lights in the house remained off, so she could only assume that Malia and Hayden hadn't been disturbed by their absence… or the ever approaching full moon. Thing's had been quiet around Beacon Hills lately, it had only been a matter of time before something like this popped up. Lydia finding a body never ended well.

Kira knelt down next to her friend and put a hand gently on her back, "I'm gonna go call Scott, okay?" Lydia nodded robotically and Kira pulled out her phone, and walked to the other side of the dock. She looked at the time guiltily - it was almost 4 am - before pressing the little phone icon next to her boyfriend's contact.

It only rang once before Scott answered hastily, "what's wrong?"

"Why do you always assume something is wrong when I call?" She whispered.

"Okay, then what's up?" He sounded less alert now.

"Something's wrong… with Lydia," she admitted.

Scott sighed, dragging himself out of bed and pulling on the first pair of pants and shirt that he can find. "I'll be there soon."

* * *

Quietly, he shuts the door to his bedroom where both Stiles and Liam lay sprawled out on the floor, fast asleep. The girl's had insisted on having a "girl's night" so the guys ended up doing the same, it had been a long time since they had all just been able to relax. No supernatural drama in months… until now that is.

Scott pulls into the driveway of the Martin Family Lake House where he had spent many a full moon. Kira had said they were in the boat house, so he not so carefully parks his bike and jogs to the back. At the side of the boat house, Kira stands waiting for him.

"What's going on? Did she find a body?" he asks quietly, looking from Kira to the silhouette of Lydia sitting at the watersedge.

"I really don't-" as Kira begins to speak Scott's phone rings, displaying Stiles' goofy grin on the screen.

Handing his girlfriend the phone, Scott makes his way over to the distraught looking Banshee.

* * *

"Hey, Stiles," Kira answers reluctantly, with an uncomfortable laugh.

"What's happening."

"Nothing. Nothing. Lydia's just-"

"I'm on my way," Stiles had been out the door upon the first syllable of Lydia's name. Driving his hideous new red truck far beyond legal speeds down the road. Only upon hitting a red light at an intersection he slams on the breaks. Tapping his hands on the steering wheel, he stares at the glowing light, waiting for it to change to green. As it does he speeds forward. "I knew things had been too quiet," he says to himself as he presses further into the gas pedal.

* * *

When Stiles arrives he finds both Scott and Kira standing over a tiny crumpled figure at the edge of the dock. He sprints forward, barely bothering to close his car door. Almost immediately he is at Lydia's side, hands on her shoulders. His eyes scan every inch of her, he tries not to blush as he sees that she is in nothing but a thin tank top and silk pajama shorts. Her hair is in a loose ponytail cascading down her back and she looks beautiful - _as always,_ he thinks. He looks up to Scott now, "what's up, is there a body, why is she like this?" the questions roll off his tongue at a speed that impresses even himself.

Scott shakes his head, "I don't know man, we both tried talking to her but she hasn't said a word since she told Kira to leave. As for a dead body… I don't smell anything, but who knows what's in the lake..."

"Well, have you tried to get her back inside? You do have werewolf strength yah know, Scotty, or did yah forget?" Stiles remarks sarcastically. "It's freezing out here and she's barely wearing anything. How long has she even been out here?" Stiles continues to question the two as he rubs Lydia's arms up and down in an effort to unchill them, eventually peeling off his red hoodie and placing it over the strawberry blondes shoulders. "Come on, Lyds… what's goin on?"

Lydia opens her mouth like she's going to say something and everyone stares at her for a moment expectantly. Slowly, she dips her hand in the water and begins to write a name on the dry wood of the dock between her and Stiles.

It reads: Aiden

Stiles looks at her in confusion, then up at Scott and Kira. "Aiden," he says it in an almost jealous tone.

Upon hearing the name Lydia's head whips up and her eyes clear of the haze that had inhibited them moments before.

"Stiles?" Her voice cracks as she says his name. She studies her surroundings, clearly unaware of the events that had just taken place.

"Let's get you inside," he says softly, helping her stand and leading her past a scrutinizing Scott and Kira.

* * *

Finally Lydia is back in her bed, still wrapped up in Stiles' hoodie. Her bed is positioned so that she always has a perfect view of the night sky over the water just outside the window. She shivers, not because she is cold, but because of what had happened earlier in the night. It had been months since her last banshee episode and she wasn't sure what to think of it or what it could mean - especially when it came to Aiden's name. Turning over, she is still unable to escape the light of the moon that filters in through the window. With a frustrated sigh she stands, carefully stepping over a sleeping Stiles who had insisted on staying on her floor for the night in case anything else happened. She closes herself in her bathroom, lighting a candle rather than turning on the harsh fluorescent light. With the twist of a handle, the bathtub began to fill with steaming hot water. Undressing, she carefully hangs the red hoodie on the hook on the back of her door, while the rest of her clothing finds a place on the floor. Slowly, she sinks into the hot bath, letting the water cover every inch of her body. Tugging at the hair tie holding together her ponytail, her hair cascades down into the water. Her eyes close in relaxation and she begins to quietly hum to herself, a tune that she wasn't sure she recognized, though it sounded oddly familiar. Sinking lower, she was completely submerged from head to toe, and that's when she heard it. The voice. _His_ voice.

 _Aiden's voice._

* * *

"Lydia," the voice said calmly.

She wanted to respond but somehow she knew that if she came up from the water that it would disappear.

"You can hear me, can't you?" he said.

All she could do was nod, and hold herself under longer, though her brain was screaming at her to resurface. She opened her eyes underneath the water, but instead of seeing the rose gold ceiling of her bathroom, she is greeted by white light. She sits up quickly, finding herself still in her clawfoot tub, but in the center of an empty white room.

"You really can," Aiden's voice sounds amazed. Lydia whips around in the tub to find him standing just a few feet behind her, staring at her in awe. Her eyes go wide as she studies him. He looks the same, still boyish and rebellious, still just as handsome, and his eyes still hold the look of adoration that he only ever reserved for her.

"Aiden… how?" As she begins to question him, the screaming in her head demands to be heard. But it is not alone, as it is accompanied by another voice, one she knew all too well.

* * *

Stiles woke with a start at the sound of running water. Looking around with concern, it seemed the room was seriously lacking in one banshee. Pulling himself off the ground, he approached the bathroom door, knocking lightly. There was no response. Knocking again, this time a bit harder. Still no response.

"Lyds?"

No response.

"Lydia?"

Nothing.

Opening the door he almost immediately begins to release a string of apologies as he sees the beautiful strawberry blonde in the tub. That is until he realizes that she is completely under the water, and unmoving. He races to her side and pulls her out of the tub with little effort, soaking himself and the floor in the process. Immediately he is relieved to feel her pulse under his fingers and see as her chest moves up and down.

"Lydia," he begins to pat her cheek in an effort to wake her from the strange sleep she seemed to be in.

"Lydia," a bit louder this time.

"Come on Lyds." He continually says her name, rocking her close to his chest for several minutes. His eyes starting to tear and he begins to worry that she may never come to.

* * *

"Lydia!" the familiar voice called.

"Lydia?" Aiden took a step toward the tub.

"Lydia!" it called again.

"Lydia? Wait." Aiden pleaded.

"Lydia!"

"Please don't-" Aiden's begging faded away as she was yanked back underwater.

* * *

With a gasp Lydia opens her eyes to find herself on her bathroom floor being cradled by Stiles.

"Lyds? You with me?"

It takes her a moment to remember what had happened while she was in the tub, and upon remembering she attempts to pull away from Stiles and return to the water. He was having none of that as his hold on her only tightened when she tried to lunge at the clawfoot.

"It's okay, you're okay. You're okay." Stiles tried to calm her, though it seemed more for his own benefit.

"Stiles, let go of me," her voice reverting to the trance-like quality it had held earlier in the night.

"What? Hell no, Lydia, do you even realize you just almost drown in your own bathtub?"

"I have to. I have to go back. Aiden he-"

"Aiden?" Stiles interrupts her, "what about _Aiden_ , Lydia?" Even though the ex-alpha was dead Stiles still felt a burning jealousy every time his name was spoken, especially if it was spoken by as beautiful of lips as Lydia Martin's.

"I think he's trying to contact me," she said simply, her voice slowly returning to normal.

"How is that even possible. Lydia, Aiden's dead. He's gone. Gone. Finito. Finished. He is 100% totally and completely-"

"I know!" she yells. His grip on her loosens in shock and she is able to pull away from him. As she stands she finally becomes aware of the fact that she is completely naked upon seeing Stiles' face go from confused to awe struck. Embarrassed and a little upset, she grabs the hoodie off of the hook behind her and pulls it on, zipping it all the way up. Due to her short stature, it covers everything essential. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I scared you, and for yelling, and for all this banshee nonsense that you all have to deal with all the time."

"Hey, it's not your-"

"No. It is. It is my fault that I can't control any of this."

Stiles shakes his head, putting a comforting hand on her arm. "There are tons of supernatural creatures who have way worse control than you." He looks directly into her sweet green eyes and smiles. "I mean seriously, have you _seen_ Hayden on a full moon. Sheesh talk about loose canon, am I right?" He was trying to cheer her up, and when she reluctantly cracked a smile he knew he had been successful. Pulling her into a hug, he tries not to think too hard about the fact that she was wearing nothing but _his_ hoodie.

"Can we just, maybe _not_ tell the others about this... For the time being at least?" Lydia

asks, as she reaches for the door knob.

Ruffling his hair, he nods, "for now." Though he wanted to tell Scott as soon as possible, it may be a better idea to keep it between them for awhile. Especially with the full moon being the next night, the group didn't need any more drama.

She smiles one last time at the chocolate eyed boy, glancing back at the tub before returning to her bed.

Stiles follows close behind, preparing to reassume his position on the floor when Lydia grabs his arm and pulls him down to the bed with her. "There's really no reason for you to be on the ground."

"Wha- are you sure?"

"We are friends, Stiles, friends share beds all the time."

"Right, right, of course. Friends."

It had been an insane night. Everything from Lydia's trance, to her almost drowning, to him pulling her out of the tub, to seeing her _naked,_ and now he was in her bed! If only time travel existed, because sophomore Stiles would never even begin to believe any of this. He couldn't contain his goofy smile as Lydia snuggled up next to him on the queen sized bed. Supernatural drama aside, this was one of the best moments of his whole life.

 **Chapter 2**

The next morning Lydia forces herself to get out of bed, though she had only gotten around two full hours of sleep the night before. Groggily, she walks down the stairs, past Scott and Kira on the couch to whom she sings a soft "Good Morning". Finally she makes it to the kitchen where much to her pleasure someone had already made coffee. She fills a mug, holding it up to her nose and breathing in the fresh brew scent before drinking it. When she turns around she finds the entire pack, minus Stiles, standing in the kitchen staring at her. It is then that she realizes how she must look, like she hadn't slept and wearing only _Stiles'_ sweatshirt and nothing else.

"Hey… guys," Lydia says nervously as she takes a small sip of her coffee. Scott is looking at the ground embarrassed, while Kira gives her signature panicked eyes.

Malia has her arms crossed with a knowing look on her face, she is the first to say something, "so, do anything interesting last night?" She wiggles her eyebrows the way that Stiles always does - something she had picked up during their brief relationship.

"Girl meeting!" Kira announces and begins pushing Liam and Scott out of the kitchen.

Together, Lydia very reluctantly, the girls hustle up the stairs to one of the empty bedrooms.

"Okay, spill." Kira's voice is excited, like this moment was something she had been waiting for for an extremely long time - little did she know _this_ moment wasn't really a moment at all.

Before Lydia could answer, more questions were being spewed at her.

"Did you use protection?"

"What was it like?"

"Did he do that thing where he nibbles on your ear?" That one came from Malia, to which she received a 'cut it out' look from both Hayden and Kira.

Lydia practically choked at that one.

"Girls…" she began.

"Lydia and Stiles… I can't believe it. Really it's about time-"

"We didn't have sex!" Lydia screeched.

* * *

As soon as the girl's had locked themselves in one of the guest rooms, Scott and Liam raced up to Lydia's room where they planned to ambush Stiles. Throwing the door open, they both pounce on their friend. Scott immediately putting him into a playful headlock.

"What the hell, guys!" Stiles fights against them in vain.

"Stiles Stilinksi, you have been holding out on us," Scott releases his headlock and playfully punches Stiles' arm.

"What're you talking about? And _ow_ by the way," he says, rubbing his neck.

Liam lays back on the bed, putting his arms behind his head, "come on, dude, don't play dumb. I mean really you guys weren't very discrete."

"Yeah, man with the 'Lydia! Lydia! Lydia!' screaming last night - hey, Liam, I wouldn't lay on this bed if I were you!" Both guys start howling laughter and Stiles just looks at them with his mouth open, one eye doing the twitchy thing it always did whenever he was trying to understand someone's bizarre and idiotic behavior.

"What? No, no, no. Nothing like that even- I mean- we slept together!"

"I knew it!" Both boys yelp in unison.

"No! No. No. We slept. Like together."

"Yeah, dude, hey I'm proud of yah. Ten year plan, who'd have thought." Scott messes with Stiles' hair in a fatherly sort of way.

Swatting his hand away Stiles corrects, "No. Like we slept together. But we didn't _sleep_ together. It was- Like- No. We just-"

Interrupting his ramblings a screech came from across the hall.

"We didn't have sex!"

* * *

There was a resounding "ohhh" from all parties, instantly quieting the questions in both rooms. Lydia comes bursting into her room, followed by the girls.

"Everybody go home, change, and we will meet back here tonight for the full moon. Okay? Okay." Lydia takes charge, shuffling the pack down the stairs. Everyone seems to nod in agreement and begins to pack up their belongings, all somewhat embarrassed by their assumptions.

On his way out the door, Scott mouths a "sorry, dude" to Stiles who hadn't allowed himself to be kicked out by the tiny redhead. When everyone is out, Lydia turns to the tall brunette behind her, crossing her arms and pursing her lips.

"I'm not leaving."

"Stiles…"

"Nope. You can't make me." He stands his ground, unmoving.

"They all think we had _sex_ , Stiles. You are not staying behind, do you have any idea how suspicious that will look?" Hearing the word on her lips, Stiles wavered. He knew she had done it before, _sex_. But he didn't like to think about that. He shakes his head to clear his thoughts, he hadn't been this nervous around her since sophomore year - it was strange. They had fallen into this sort of platonic friendship when he was dating Malia. And now that Malia was out of the picture it seemed to be reverting back to how it had been back in the beginning of Junior year. That thought only lead him to remembering the day he had had a panic attack in the locker room and the unconventional way Lydia had cured it. Her lips had been so soft that day, he recalled them tasting like strawberries.

"Are you even listening?" Lydia snaps him out of his thoughts.

"Right, right," he pauses, "what were you saying again?"

Annoyed, she repeats herself, "Go home and take a shower, or a nap, change your clothes. You look exhausted, and rightfully so."

"But, Lyds," he tries to argue.

"Stiles, I promise," she takes his hands, her touch making his heart pound, "I won't try anything while you're gone. Nothing with the tub, or the shower, I won't even use the sink if that will make you feel better?" She gives him a sweet smile, hoping that he will take the bait and leave. "I just really need to be alone for a little bit, yah know?"

He nods. "Okay. Fine."

"Thank you," She pulls him into a hug. He squeezes her tightly, trying to ignore the fact that she is still indeed almost naked.

"I'm coming back though."

She nods in understanding.

"Like. Soon. Like… you have two hours. Okay?"

"That's all I ask," her voice is soft, as she takes his hand and leads him toward the front door. "I'll wash this sweatshirt and get it back to you later. I know it's your favorite."

He shakes his head, "nah, you can keep it. Looks better on you anyways." He says the last part almost under his breath, but being a banshee Lydia was quite used to tuning in whispered words. She smiles again, and watches as he walks down the sidewalk to his big red truck which he hated so much.

* * *

Chapter 3

After Stiles left, Lydia took her two hours as a time to relax, staying true to her word about keeping away from the tub. Not just because Stiles had told her, but because she was honestly afraid of what it all meant. Though she should have been tired, she felt restless. And after three cups of coffee she finally made her way to her bedroom where she rifled through the few pieces of clothing which she always kept at the lake house. Opting for a black and white pin-striped spaghetti-strap romper, her favorite black booties, and Stiles' red hoodie.

Having gone to sleep with it wet, her normally gracefully wavy hair was in tangles, so she decided to straighten her long locks. Something she normally didn't do. Finishing and pulling it into a sleek pony tail, she stares at herself in the mirror. Leaning in close to fix a small smudge in her red lipstick. She gasps when on the back of her hand she sees a strange shimmer. Examining it closer, she finds small glimmering bumps on her soft skin. If she didn't know any better she'd say they look extraordinarily similar to the scales of a fish.

"What…?" she whispers, flipping her hands over, then examining her arms to see just how many places these strange bumps were. She was able to relax a bit when she realized they were limited to the backs of her hands. Taking a deep breath, she opens a small drawer in her vanity and pulls out the black fingerless motorcycle gloves that had once belonged to Allison. With a sad smile she slips them on, covering the unexplainable rash. This was something, much like her vision in the bathtub, that could be dealt with another day - really any day other than the full moon, she thought.

With the rest of her free time Lydia tidied up her room, and before she knew it it was nearly noon. Going down to the kitchen, she makes two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. After getting out the fruit, she hears the front door open and quick footsteps approaching the kitchen.

The first thing he noted was that she was still wearing his sweatshirt, causing an instant smile to spread across his face.

"You're early," she comments without turning around, knowing full well who stood behind her.

"Early? Me?" He looks at his wrist, though it had no watch on it. "Hey, is that for me?" He points to one of the sandwiches Lydia is delicately placing inside of a ziplock bag. She smacks his hand away from the food and zips it tightly.

"Not yet," she smiles when he pouts and begins cutting up strawberries.

"So what's all this for?" He questions as he quickly snags one of the sliced up berries and pops it into his mouth.

"Well, I figured if you're gonna be patrolling me, then we may as well do something fun. Are you up for a picnic?"

Stiles nods, assisting her in gathering the berries into a tupperware.

* * *

Stiles and Lydia sit side by side on the lawn just a few feet away from the boathouse. Lydia nibbles on her sandwich as she stares out at the water which she had been so transfixed with the night before. All the while, Stiles sips a can of Dr. Pepper, having already scarfed down the small PB&J as well as almost all of the berries. He watches her tentatively, wondering if he should say or do something after such a prolonged silence. His stomach grumbles, as if on cue.

Lydia looks at him with a smirk, "still hungry?"

"No, no. I'm fine," he attempts to sound sincere. His stomach protests.

Lydia shakes her head at him and laughs, digging into the picnic basket. "How about some dessert?" she questions as she pulls out a small orange package, Stiles' favorite candy.

Stiles smiles at her and takes one of the two peanut butter cups from the package. He takes small bites, as if trying to savor every bit - having learned his lesson from the sandwich.

"Chocolate and peanut butter," Lydia says contently, taking her first bite.

"The perfect combination," Stiles says matter-of-factly.

Lydia nods. Stiles could only wonder if she was thinking back to that night at the ice rink, it was the only thing he was able to think of whenever he enjoyed the chocolate peanut butter treat.

As if reading his mind, Lydia says softly, "a strange combination… but surely some of the best creations come from combining two unlikely things."


	2. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Stiles stared at her, amazed. All he can do is look baffled at the beautiful girl next to him who was staring so intently out at the water. He lays back, his hands resting beneath his head. He wondered what she was thinking right then, and it took only a moment for curiosity to get the best of him. So he asked.

"Last night…" her voice is almost a whisper. "What I saw…"

"It wasn't real, Lyds, whatever that thing was that you thought you saw. It wasn't real," he insists, reaching out and grabbing her gloved hand.

She finally looks at him, her green eyes drilling intensely into his chocolate brown. Just as quickly as he had taken it, she plucks her hand out of his; as she does, she pulls herself farther away from him, and begins picking up the trash and tupperware container, stuffing them into the basket. Though it had been warm and comforting, she wasn't in the mood for it. She wouldn't let his big warm hands distract her. "That _thing_ was _Aiden_ ," she insisted.

"Lydia, I know you think you saw him, but Aiden's-"

"What, Stiles?" She crosses her arms, the basket dangling at her elbow, "Aiden's what? Dead?"

"Well, yeah, among other things…" He sits up, no longer feeling relaxed.

"Last time I checked Meredith was pretty dead when she helped me in Eichen House."

"That's different, and you know it. Meredith was a banshee."

"Exactly, and _I'm_ a banshee. Which means talking to the dead is kind of my thing."

"I get it, Lydia, I do. It's just you're acting sort of-"

"I am _not_ acting _crazy_ , Stiles Stilinski!" Having gathered the last of their picnic, she stands and yanks the blanket out from under Stiles, and angrily treks back to the house.

"I was gonna say strange!" Stiles calls after her retreating figure.

* * *

He scrambles back to the house only to find she had locked the glass door they had come out of. Inside, Lydia begins to empty the contents of the picnic basket. He knocks, and she pays no attention to him.

"Lydia." His voice does not raise much in volume, as he know that she can hear him through the thin glass. "You know I didn't mean it."

Silence.

"Come on, Lydia," he begs.

She flashes a glance his way, but soon returns her gaze to the dishes in front of her. Not wanting to ruin Allison's gloves, she carefully removes them and sets them far enough from the sink so that they won't get wet.

"My keys are sitting on the counter, so I'm not going anywhere until I get those," he points out.

She huffs out a sigh and walks over to the door, quickly unlocking the deadbolt, though neglecting to actually open the door for him. Returning to the sink, she hears him slowly slide the door open.

He carefully approaches behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Lyds…"

Startled by his close proximity, Lydia shoves her scaly hands further into the sudsy water in an effort to conceal the strange rash.

"Looks like you're getting your sleeves wet, let me help-" He begins to pull one of the sleeves of the red hoodie up, exposing her forearm which was now covered in the scaly rash.

"What is that?"

"Nothing. A rash… I forgot I'm allergic to this dish soap." She pulls her hands out of the water and wipes them with a dry towel before grabbing Allison's gloves and slipping them on.

"Huh, same thing happens to me when I eat shellfish," Stiles offers, hoping that the previous tension between them was lifted.

Lydia nods.

Thankfully the doorbell rings and any further awkward conversation is postponed.

"I'll get it!" Lydia yelps, rushing toward the door.

She opens it to find Liam and Hayden, hand in hand, both carrying their backpacks full of materials for the ever approaching full moon.

* * *

Sunset seemed to be approaching faster and faster, but luckily everyone was so well rehearsed in full moon protocol that everyone was chained (well, Hayden anyway) or bracing themselves for the long night ahead. Lydia could only hope that the night would go smoothly.

Scott startles her as he plops down beside her on the couch. "I hope it's a quiet night," he says as if reading her mind.

She nods, attempting to hide her nerves behind a small smile.

She looked across the room at Stiles who was helping Malia with her breathing exercises, something she had begun doing after their relationship ended. Stiles was still her anchor, which made the break up a bit of a complication. Lydia remembered the discomfort that everyone felt when Stiles had to come to the lake house just a week after the break up to help Malia find control on the full moon.

The light of the moon soon filled the windows. Hayden began screaming from the basement where she remained chained in Malia's old spot. Liam could be heard attempting to calm her. But even he had to admit that there was no pain like the agony that ensued upon resisting the pull of the moon.

Scott soon joined Liam in the basement, hoping that his alpha status would help to stop Hayden from lashing out.

* * *

Around 2 am things had begun to settle. Liam and Scott had successfully persuaded Hayden into falling asleep, Kira lay snoozing on the couch across from Lydia, and Malia had decided halfway through the night that Stiles was only making it harder for her to concentrate on breathing with his constant coaching - so she had retired to the guest bedroom upstairs. Which left Stiles and Lydia next to each other on the tiny loveseat couch, just barely fighting sleep.

Eventually exhaustion did get the better of them, as they fell asleep leaning on one another.


	3. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! Just so you know, I have kind of made up some folklore just for the benefit of my own story... so that will come into play later on... just a warning.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **I'm more inspired to write when you guys review! So... review!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

Stiles dreamt of a beach. The sand was soft and damp as he slowly walked down the shoreline. He felt an overwhelming sense of worry, one that he couldn't quite place. Across the water, in the distance, he could make out the shape of Lydia's boat house. He stared at the familiar scene until something at his feet caught his attention. Leaning down, he plucks one of Allison's gloves from the water before it could be pulled back by the current. He examines it, his fingers running over the damp leather.

Stiles could suddenly feel a presence behind him, he quickly turned to find Allison standing there, staring. She seemed to be looking at him, though really it was more that she was looking straight through him, at the boathouse.

"Allison…?" His heart seemed to skip a beat as he took a step toward his fallen friend.

She began walking, her feet never making an impression in the sand below them, until she was right in front of him. It was then that she finally made eye contact with him.

She whispered, "answers will be revealed when the water is at its darkest, and the sky at its lightest."

He looks at her in confusion. But just as he is about to question her, she passes through him and dissolves into the water.

"Oh, come on!" He throws the glove into the water where she had disappeared.

As the glove sank to the bottom of the lake, the scene became fuzzy and he felt like he was falling.

His eyes snap open and he finds himself back where he had been what seemed like moments ago, Kira fast asleep on the couch across from him. Glancing to his left, he finds that his favorite strawberry blond is no longer there. Assuming she had gone to use the restroom, or possibly to get something to drink from the kitchen, he closes his eyes in an attempt to drift back to sleep.

* * *

Lydia finds herself once again at the edge of the dark water, under the brightly lit moon in the sky. She leans over the edge, as if reaching for something, until her entire form topples into the freezing waves. Though the water is icy, her body feels ablaze, as if every molecule within her is dancing.

So she swims, and swims, for what seems like hours. Somehow feeling too carefree and energized to even question the tail that formed, almost like magic, when she was enveloped by the black water.

When the sun finally begins to rise, Lydia pulls herself up onto the edge of the dock and examines her newfound appendage. Finally, the gravity of what she was looking at finally sets in. Before she can even begin to question what was going on, she hears the voice of someone who was quickly approaching the boat house. Before she can even begin to panic, the tail is gone, and is magically replaced by her soft pale legs once more.

"Lydia, what're you doing out here, everyone's looking for you," Malia's tone is annoyed, but it could easily be told that she was relieved to have found the redhead in one piece. She offers her hand, and assists Lydia in standing from her perch on the splintery wooden surface of the dock. "I found her guys!" She calls into the house as they enter.

Each pack member emerges from a different place in the house, with looks on their faces that displayed both worry and relief.

"Where were you? We were worried." A drowsy looking Kira asks, taking Lydia into a tight hug, though quickly recoiling out of it. "And why are you… wet?"

"Just went for a morning swim…" Lydia says innocently, which rewards her with a look from her pack mates that said 'uh oh Lydia's lost it again'. Which if she was being honest with herself, may actually be true. A tail, come on Lydia, she thought, you have to have imagined it. But somehow she knew she hadn't. Which somehow scared her even more than the thought of losing her mind.


	4. Chapter 6

**HI GUYS! MAKE SURE YOU READ THROUGH FROM THE BEGINNING IF YOU ARE JUST RETURNING TO THIS STORY (and haven't read in the last 48 hours) BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES MADE. THANK YOU!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

For the second time in 24 hours, Lydia sent her pack home, rather than telling the truth. It didn't feel right to be lying, though she was more withholding the truth than anything else. Which technically was not lying. Stiles was the hardest to get out the door, but she finally convinced him when she reminded him of his job at the sheriff's station and how disappointed his father would be if he were late for his first day on the job.

The minute he left, she flipped the lock on the door and sprinted up the stairs to her bedroom, immediately hightailing it to the tub, which she turned onto the highest water pressure. As the tub filled, she stripped away her wet pajamas - which still baffled her as to how they were totally intact from the previous transformation, something only magic could explain - and examined herself in the mirror. The scales that had covered her forearms the day before had now seemingly vanished, much to her relief.

When the tub was finally full, she reluctantly stepped in the scalding water and her legs began to tingle, much like they had the night before. She quickly sat down. As she was completely submerged, her legs were instantaneously transformed into a long, scaly green and silver tail which hung off over the end of the small clawfoot tub. She stared at it in awe, this had been a fantasy of hers growing up. She had always loved when her grandmother had called her Ariel, and now it was as if she very well was the little mermaid.

Taking one of her shiny silver-green scales between two fingers, she not so carefully tugs at the scale. She winces in pain, but the scale remains attached to her body. The sensation could only be compared to that of having a loose tooth pulled as a child. Shaking off the pain, she proceeded in her ordinary bathing routine of washing her hair.

When she dunked her head under the hot water to rinse away the shampoo, she had a feeling that when she resurfaced she would not be alone. She opened her eyes under the water, they stung from the soap, but she ignored the pain. Above her, she could see the silhouette of a person. A person that she was positive was Aiden.

* * *

Coming up for air, she tries to stay calm as she makes eye contact with her lost lover.

"Aiden," her voice is soft and musical. It is as if the mermaid's tail also granted her a mermaids sweet voice, Aiden thought. Or maybe it had always been like that and he had been too daft to notice.

"Hey, Lydia," he says sheepishly. Unsure if this was really real, if he had actually successfully reached her after years of trying. He could only wonder what changed - what brought this newfound connection on.

"How is this happening?" Lydia asks, breathlessly.

Aiden shrugs his shoulders, "I was hoping you could tell me. I've been trying to reach out to you since the day that demon ninja asshole turned me into a katana shish kebob."

Lydia winced at the memory.

"So… what have you been up to…? Yah know, besides growing a tail?" Aiden jokes, "By the way, this new mermaid look… totally hot." Lydia smiles at him and rests her arms on the edge of the tub, then her chin on top of them. Doing this, she continues to examine every detail of him, it makes her sad to say her memories did not do him justice.

"Well, thank you, that makes a total of one of us that actually enjoys this..." she flaps her tail, "thing…" sneering at the last word.

Finally, Lydia takes in her surroundings, acknowledging that they were still in her bathroom, rather than the white room they had been in before.

"I don't even know what to say to you, honestly, I didn't think I'd actually ever reach you."

"Well you've definitely proven that there is another side, something more to life after death. But we kinda figured that out awhile ago…"

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Aiden ruffles his hair, similar to the way Stiles always does, though Lydia can't help but think that Stiles was somehow better at it - like he had mastered the technique of flirtatious nervous hair ruffling. She mentally hit herself, stay focused, Lydia, you're talking to the dead! They both sit in silence for a moment, both thinking up what they could possibly say.

"What's it like?" She finally asks.

"What?" He asks confused, "oh, you mean death?"

She nods, unsure if she really wants an answer.

"Peaceful."

She has to say she wasn't expecting that.

"I mean, yeah, it hurt at first, but most impalings do," he smiles then looks stern, "but after a few seconds of that pain, everything kind of made sense. I felt at peace with my life, and with my death."

"It was awful, I wish I could have…"

"Lydia - don't. My death wasn't your fault."

"You're a banshee, Lydia, it's your job to warn death, not stop it."

Her eyes began to water then and Aiden kneeled down, taking a seat on the tile floor next to her tub. He takes her hand and smiles sweetly, a smile he had only ever revealed to her.

"I have so many questions, Aiden," she sniffles.

"I know you do, but I need to leave soon, time happens differently on the other side, I have to let you get back to living." His smile is sad, as he cups her wet cheek with his big hands.

"What? But you just got here?" Lydia protests like a child.

"It does seem like that, doesn't it?" With that he began to fade away.

"Aiden! Wait!" But he was already gone, and suddenly Lydia's eyes seemed to go in and out of focus. And when everything became clear again; the room was lit differently than it had been just moments before, and all the water in the tub had drained. In addition to this, her legs had returned. She quickly stood and hurried over to the counter that she had left her phone on across the room.

3 pm.

She had spent 6 hours laying in her bathtub.

"What? How can that be…" Unlocking her phone she sees that she has 3 missed calls and 15 unread text messages. Most of which seemed to be from Stiles.

She quickly read through and answered all of her messages, most of which were just her friends checking up on her. She told them that she was fine and just very tired, that she would talk to them soon. One of the missed calls had been from her mother, so she decided that was the one she would respond to.

It rang only two times before there was an answer.

"Hi, honey," Natalie Martin's voice filled the speaker.

"Hi, Mom, what's up?"

"I just wanted to see if you were planning on coming home anytime soon? You've been spending a lot of time at that lake house."

Lydia thought for a moment, and suddenly an idea popped into her head.

"You know, Mom, I was thinking that maybe this summer I would just live out here. I spend most of my weekends here anyways, and I'll be moving out to school in a few months, it would be good practice."

"I don't know, Lydia," her mother says unsurely.

"Of course I'll still be around the main house, but I just really love being on the water. Can we at least give it a trial period? One week?"

Her mother sighs, "okay. One week, then we will talk."

"Thank you, Mom. I'll come home for dinner tonight, I promise."

* * *

"Some legends tell of Banshees residing in the bogs of Ireland," Deaton explained. Lydia had taken a trip to the vet's clinic soon after hanging up with her mother, in hopes that he held some kind of clarity on the craziness that had ensued in the past few days.

"Right, I think I read that somewhere," Lydia agrees.

"So, perhaps you have unknowingly selected your 'bog' in the lake behind your house. We know that your grandmother spent a lot of time in the boathouse, perhaps it was her's as well?" Deaton suggested.

"But lakes and bogs are totally different things. Bogs aren't even necessarily bodies of water, they're the result of poor drainage and excessive rainfall."

"Well, it could be a misnomer, like how werewolves are scared of argent as in the family, not the metal," Deaton points out.

Lydia continues, as if dismissing the man's suggestion. "Besides, my grandmother was in Eichen House, wouldn't they have known if she sprouted a tail every night?" Lydia asked skeptically. Though she kept her demeanor calm, inside her mind was racing a mile a minute. How could she not have known? Was this why her grandmother had always read her the story of the little mermaid? Had her grandmother known this would happen to her? Had she foretold it like she did the Deadpool?

"Well, if what I'm thinking is right, you must be submerged in water for the tail to materialize," Deaton hypothesizes.

"But why now? Why is this… symptom… just now presenting itself? And what's with this suddenly strong connection to Aiden? Why can I speak to him? Do you think I can reach… others?" Her mind immediately flowed to Allison. She couldn't even imagine what it would be like to speak to her best friend again. She would have so much to tell her.

Deaton's eyebrows scrunch together as he looks deep in thought. "I'm really not sure, Lydia, I wish I could tell you a simple answer. Give me a few days… I'll let you know if I find anything of substance."

Lydia nods, "thank you."

* * *

It only took 24 hours for Deaton to text her. Parking her car in the lot next to the veterinary clinic, Lydia quickly scuffles to the front door, her heels clicking loudly with each step. Deaton had said he had some new information to tell her. Inside, she finds the vet sitting at his desk with a laptop open in front of him. He looks up at Lydia as she enters and smiles, gesturing for her to come over.

Deaton reads aloud from the email he had received from a fellow druid he had met in his travels through Europe, "banshees - wailing women whose cries signal death in Irish folklore - have sometimes been known to exhibit tails, especially on a full moon. Due to this phenomenon, they are often mistaken for mermaids… It goes on to explain situations similar to your own, with the heightened senses - even the ability to speak to the dead directly and clearly, like what happened between you and Aiden."

"But did it say why?" Lydia asks, still not seeing much of an answer to her questions.

"Well, there wasn't a direct answer, but there was a legend that was attached to this particular lore. It told the story of a banshee woman named Niamh. Legend has it that this Niamh would sit in her home on the edge of a small lake, and watch a fisherman and his handsome son from her window. Overtime, she saw as the son took care of the quickly aging father, and she slowly began to fall in love with his compassion and kindness. One day the father was too sick to go out and fish, so the son - his name was Ciarán - went out alone. Since he had to do the work of two men alone, it took him much longer, and it was dark by the time he began to pack up his gear to return to shore. Though late, Niamh still watched, and as she watched she began to feel a horrible sense of dread pass over her. A sensation she knew all too well, one that told her that someone was going to die.

She could feel the scream growing in her throat as she rushed out of her house and to the water's edge where she could see Ciarán dangerously leaning over the edge of his fishermans boat. And just as she saw him falling, she propelled herself into the dark black water, under the bright full moon. As she did, her body transformed, a tail replaced her legs. With this she was able to rescue her love. When she pulled him to shore, she felt her tail transform back into legs and she lay next to Ciarán, no longer feeling the horrible dread which always foreshadowed a banshee's wail.

It is said that any banshee who falls in true love is gifted with the ability to transform her legs into the tail of a fish, so that if need be, she too can save her love."

Lydia just stared at him, in awe at the story.

"So… what I should be asking is, have you found true love recently, Lydia?"

Though she wanted to say no, that this didn't make any sense, she knew that would be a lie. She had found love. True love.

She doesn't answer the question, but Deaton gives her a knowing smile.

In an effort to change the subject Lydia asks, "so that's it? I just sprout a tail every time I want to take a shower or go swimming now?"

"Well, you'll have to put it to the test, but I'm thinking that because your grandmother was never mentioned as having a tail, I can only assume that you will be able to control it eventually."

Lydia looked relieved, "thank you, again, for all of this…"

"Of course, Lydia, what is a pack druid for anyway?"

Lydia smiled and thanked the vet once again before returning to her car and driving back to the lake house where she planned to perform a couple of scientific experiments... on herself.


End file.
